Amos 3

Modern

Literal

Witnesses against Israel

¹Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt:

¹Hear this word that YHWH has spoken against you, O sons of Israel, against all the family that I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying:

²“Only you have I known^a

from all the families of the earth;

therefore I will punish you

for all your iniquities.”

²“Only you have I known from all of the families of the earth; upon thus I will visit punishment on you for all your iniquities.”

³Can two walk together

without agreeing where to go?^a

³Can two walk together, unless they have agreed?

⁴Does a lion roar in the forest

when he has no prey?

Does a young lion growl in his den

if he has caught nothing?

⁴Does a lion roar in the forest and no prey is unto him? Does a young lion give forth his voice from his den, unless he has captured?

⁵Does a bird land in a snare

where no bait has been set?

Does a trap spring from the ground

when it has nothing to catch?

⁵Does a bird fall into a trap on the earth and no snare is unto it? Does a trap spring up from the ground and it has captured no prey?

⁶If a ram’s horn sounds in a city,

do the people not tremble?

If calamity comes to a city,

has not the LORD caused it?

⁶If a shofar is blown in the city, do the people not tremble? If calamity comes to a city, has not YHWH sent it?

⁷Surely the Lord GOD does nothing

without revealing His plan

to His servants the prophets.

⁷Surely the Lord YHWH will not do a thing, that unless He reveals His plan to His servants the prophets.

⁸The lion has roared—

who will not fear?

The Lord GOD has spoken—

who will not prophesy?

⁸A lion has roared—who will not fear? The Lord YHWH has spoken—who will not prophesy?

⁹Proclaim to the citadels of Ashdod

and to the citadels of Egypt:

“Assemble on the mountains of Samaria;

see the great unrest in the city

and the acts of oppression in her midst.”

⁹Let it be heard in the citadels of Ashdod, and in the citadels in the land of Egypt, and say: “Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria, and see great tumults in her midst, and the oppressed among her.”

¹⁰“For they know not how to do right,”

declares the LORD.

“They store up violence and destruction

in their citadels.”

¹⁰“And they know not to do right—” a declaration of YHWH “Those storing up violence and plunder in their palaces.”

¹¹Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says:

“An enemy^a will surround the land;

he will pull down your strongholds

and plunder your citadels.”

¹¹Therefore, thus says the Lord YHWH: “An enemy will surround the land, and he will bring down from you your strongholds and plunder your citadels.”

¹²This is what the LORD says:

“As the shepherd snatches from the mouth of the lion

two legs or a piece of an ear,

so the Israelites dwelling in Samaria will be rescued

having just the corner of a bed

or the cushion of a couch.^a

¹²Thus says YHWH: “As a shepherd delivers from the mouth of a lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so will be delivered the sons of Israel, those dwelling in Samaria, with the corner of a bed, or the cushion of a couch!

¹³Hear and testify against the house of Jacob,

declares the Lord GOD, the God of Hosts.

¹³Hear and testify against the house of Jacob, a declaration of the Lord YHWH, the God of Hosts,

¹⁴On the day I punish Israel for their transgressions,

I will visit destruction on the altars of Bethel;

the horns of the altar will be cut off,

and they will fall to the ground.

¹⁴that on the day of my visiting punishment for the transgressions of Israel upon him, then will I visit punishment on the altars of Bethel, and the horns of the altar will be cut off, and they will fall to the ground.

¹⁵I will tear down the winter house

along with the summer house;

the houses of ivory will also perish,

and the great houses will come to an end,”

declares the LORD.

¹⁵And I will destroy the house of winter with the house of summer, and the houses of ivory will perish, and the great houses will be swept away,” a declaration of YHWH.